The Golden Goblet

The Golden Goblet

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade historical mystery
• Originally Published: 1961
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 930L; grades 5-9
• Structure/Length: 16 chapters; approx. 248 pages; approx. 7 hours, 36 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: In ancient Egypt, 12-year-old Ranofer longs to become a goldsmith like his deceased father. His abusive half-brother thwarts his dream and forces him to work in a stonecutting shop, but when Ranofer discovers that Gebu is stealing treasures from tombs, he hopes that exposing this crime to the authorities will set him free.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Child abuse by older sibling

Eloise McGraw, Author

• Bio: 1915-2000; born in Houston, Texas; grew up in Oklahoma City; began writing stories at a young age; earned her BA in art from Principia College in Illinois; studied drawing and sculpture at various universities; published short stories for children in magazines including Cricket and Jack and Jill; wrote several books set in ancient Egypt and based on extensive research; working with her daughter Lauren Lynn Wagner, wrote three books set in Frank L. Baum’s world of Oz; won the Edgar Award for her mystery novel A Really Weird Summer (1977)
• Other Works: Moccasin Trail (Newbery Honor; 1952); Mara, Daughter of the Nile (1953); Merry Go Round in Oz (1963); The Striped Ships (1991); The Moorchild (Newbery Honor; 1997)
• Awards: Newbery Honor Book (1962)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Doing the Right Thing Takes Integrity, Courage, and Perseverance
• Reshaping Your Life: Coming of Age
• Good Friends Are Worth Their Weight in Gold
• The Power of Art

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the historical and social contexts of ancient Egypt that set the stage for Ranofer’s conflict.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Doing the Right Thing, Reshaping Your Life: Coming of Age, and The Power of Art.
• Plan, design, and construct symbolic jewelry based on text details that represents Ranofer’s journey toward reshaping his life.
• Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding Ranofer’s friendships, Gebu’s abuse, and other topics.